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Long-term monitoring and education needed to protect lungs of young patients

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have identified childhood cancer survivors who are at increased risk for deteriorating lung health, in part due to the lifesaving bone marrow transplants they underwent years earlier.

16 Apr 2010

Age-related declines in peripheral nerve function may be related to metabolic factors: Study

New research investigating neurological decline in a population of "super healthy" elderly subjects found that the decline in neurological function of the peripheral nervous system attributed to aging may be related to metabolic factors, such as blood sugar levels, even if these factors are within the normal range.

16 Apr 2010

PPA helps qualified patients save money on their medicines

As recently noted in the Queens Chronicle, a nationwide partnership, consisting of more than 475 public and private assistance programs, is helping qualified patients save money on their medicines.

16 Apr 2010

Moving is the best medicine for arthritic pain

The burden of arthritis is greater for African Americans and Hispanics, despite lower prevalence among these groups according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report published in the May issue of Preventing Chronic Disease.

16 Apr 2010

Screening urine dipstick to diagnose chronic kidney disease in children not cost-effective

The routine use of a screening urine dipstick to diagnose chronic kidney disease in healthy children is not a cost-effective test, confirm Penn State College of Medicine researchers, who validated an American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation.

16 Apr 2010

Volcanic ash falls across Europe

Flights were cancelled across Europe today thanks to volcanic ash drifting in to northern Europe from Iceland. More than 250 flights were grounded from London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports alone, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The ash is drifting in from a volcanic eruption in Iceland and the cloud is capable of damaging jet engines that travel through it.

16 Apr 2010

Vertex Pharmaceuticals announces results from Phase 1b clinical trial of VX-222

In conjunction with an oral presentation at the 45th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Vienna, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced results from a Phase 1b clinical trial of the investigational oral hepatitis C virus polymerase inhibitor, VX-222. In the trial, treatment with VX-222 for three days was well-tolerated, with all adverse events being mild to moderate in severity.

16 Apr 2010

Bariatric surgery reduces breathing problems, medication costs

Another benefit of rapid weight loss after bariatric surgery is a 50 percent reduction in use of prescription breathing medications, according to a study published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

16 Apr 2010

Arthritis causes more pain and limitations for African-Americans and Hispanics

Arthritis causes more pain and limitations for African-Americans and Hispanics than for whites, according to a study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

16 Apr 2010

Thought leaders join forces to prescribe for a healthy planet

Australian experts from health, business, government, the environment, community and academia have converged at the University of Sydney today to identify priorities for improving human health and ongoing sustainability in the face of significant climate change.

16 Apr 2010

New study describes impact of chronic pain on black men

Black men with chronic pain related to an accident, injury, illness, surgery or other causes were more likely to experience depression, affective distress and disability than white men with chronic pain, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System.

16 Apr 2010

Smith & Nephew to launch new line extensions to ACTICOAT antimicrobial barrier dressing portfolio

The Advanced Wound Management Division of Smith & Nephew, Inc., a subsidiary of Smith & Nephew plc will launch extensions to its ACTICOAT(TM) Silver Coated Antimicrobial Barrier Dressing portfolio at the upcoming Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Spring meeting April 17-19, 2010, in Orlando, FL. The new dressings will be highlighted at the Smith & Nephew booth, #301.

15 Apr 2010

The nuts and bolts of reform's new policies

The New York Times: "In a new report, the Congressional Research Service says the law may have significant unintended consequences for the 'personal health insurance coverage' of senators, representatives and their staff members." Lawmakers agreed to depart from their existing health plans in order to join new health insurance exchanges, something they have made available to many of their constituents. But, while the exchanges don't start up until 2014, the law is silent on when lawmakers must ditch their current benefits.

15 Apr 2010

Potential new drug for treatment of MS to be presented at AAN Annual Meeting

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine will present several studies at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, including a potential new drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and surprising trends showing a reduction in the disease's severity. The meeting will take place April 10-17 in Toronto.

15 Apr 2010

Successful stem cell therapy performed on CHF patients in Mexico

Bioheart, Inc. announced that treatment with stem cell therapy on two congestive heart failure (CHF) patients was performed successfully at the Hospital Angeles Tijuana, Mexico, through Bioheart's Center of Excellence program with Regenerative Medicine Institute.

15 Apr 2010

Penn State professor proposes new strategy to improve adult malnutrition

A new consensus statement on adult malnutrition suggests classifying patients in three categories related to the cause of malnutrition, according to an international committee of nutrition researchers. This approach could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition.

15 Apr 2010

Lawyer suggests tips on insurance and well being

"You've just found out that your insurance co-pays or coinsurance to see your physician are going to be higher this year. You may think, 'I'll just not see my doctor unless I get really sick.' This way of thinking may reduce a few co-pays to save money but a recent study found that deferring regular care is actually increasing the amount of money and time patients are spending for inpatient care," says Frank N. Darras, the nation's top insurance lawyer.

15 Apr 2010

FDA: Seven MDIs for treating asthma and COPD to be phased out

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced, in accordance with longstanding U.S. obligations under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, seven metered-dose inhalers (MDI) used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be gradually removed from the U.S. marketplace. These inhalers contain ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are propellants that move medication out of the inhaler and into the lungs of patients.

15 Apr 2010

Combivent Inhalation Aerosol's "essential use" status effective through 2013

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that the "essential use" status of Combivent® (ipratropium bromide and albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol will be effective through December 31, 2013. With this ruling, COMBIVENT will remain on the market and available to the more than two million chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who rely on it as a bronchodilator.

15 Apr 2010

New findings point to potential dysfunctional learning process in chronic pain patients

New research reveals why a stimulus that healthy human subjects perceive as a reward might be processed quite differently in the brains of humans suffering from chronic pain.

15 Apr 2010